Plant Disease Library / Bacterial Canker of Tomato Bacterial Canker of Tomato Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis
high Tomato bacterial
A serious seed- and transplant-borne bacterial disease causing wilting, stem cankers, and "bird's-eye" fruit spots.
Symptoms Seedling wilt, marginal leaf necrosis ("firing"), stem cankers and cracking, and small fruit spots with a white halo and dark center resembling a bird's eye.
Favorable conditions • Warm, humid weather• Contaminated seed, transplants, or tools• Wounds from pruning, clipping, or wind damageManagement 1 Use certified pathogen-free seed and transplants 2 Sanitize tools and stakes between plantings 3 Avoid working wet fields 4 Apply copper bactericides preventively 5 Rotate away from tomato for 2-3 years
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